Inter midfielder wants a move to Old Trafford in January

Joao Mario is keen to join up with Jose Mourinho and move to Old Trafford as early as this January

Portugal international Joao Mario is looking for a way out of Inter Milan. The 24-year-old midfielder has been underused since Luciano Spaletti’s arrival at the helm of the Nerrazurri.He has made just 43 appearances for the Italian side since moving from Sporting last year. He is now looking for a move out of Inter in search of regular football.

Manchester United target Joao Mario

ESPN FCsuggests Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain are both interested in bolstering their midfield ranks. The European giants have eyed up as Joao Mario as a potential target. Although the player himself prefers a move to Old Trafford. PSG view the midfielder as a backup for the likes of Marco Verratti and Adrien Rabiot. He believes that United, on the other hand, would be able to afford him more game time.

Paul Pogba’s absence exposed the shortcomings in United’s midfield. Except for Nemanja Matic, no other midfielder was able to come out of the ‘Pogba-less’ period with merit. Both Mata and Henrikh Mkhitaryan have been too inconsistent to be trusted by Mourinho. Fellaini’s future has been uncertain amid rumours of a possible to Turkey while Herrera hasn’t been given a fair chance this season.

Corriere dello Sport even reported that Manchester United might be willing to use Juan Mata as a makeweight in a deal to bring Joao Mario to Old Trafford.

Manchester United have offered playmaker Juan Mata to Inter Milan as part of a deal to bring in 24-year-old midfielder João Mário. [Corriere dello Sport] #mufcpic.twitter.com/jQggT1jBbb

Another Inter midfielder, Ivan Perisic, was linked to Manchester United in the summer. After a summer of intense back-and-forth, the Croatian ultimately stayed at San Siro upon Luciano Spaletti’s insistence. Following the weekend’s 5-0 win over Chievo, which saw Inter ascend to the summit of Serie A, Perisic told Mediaset Premium, “Spaletti told us that every player is important and we got proof of that in the win, as even those who haven’t has as much space made their mark.”

“Spaletti was extremely important in convincing me to stay.”

Author’s Take

Joao Mario is still young and will get his opportunities under Luciano Spaletti should he stay and show his dedication. Spaletti is a great manager, I’m sure he won’t let a talent like Joao Mario leave as easily.

While he would be a great addition to Mourinho’s midfield, he’s not the Portuguese’s top priority at the moment. A January move seems unlikely; the story, however, can change drastically in the next 3 weeks before the transfer window officially opens.

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